Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Lo! There Shall Come...Endings! "Mourning Prey" by McGregor and Russell

Wow, the last day of 2013. What a year it's been. One of the best. One of the worst. Yeah, that kind'a year. That kind of thinking led me to this year's "Endings" post: Killraven/War of the Worlds "Mourning Prey". Enjoying the sophisticated beauty of both the prose of Don McGregor and the art of P. Craig Russell, Killraven/War of the Worlds in Amazing Adventures was one of the most critically acclaimed and well-loved series at Marvel. Many called it the best thing Marvel published (personally, it's high in the "one of the best" list for moi). In fact, when word got out that Amazing Adventures was going to be cancelled, fandom started a letter-writing campaign to save McGregor and Russell's baby.

Sadly, it wasn't enough, but the fact that the series elicited such a strong response from Marvel's more mature and serious (and vocal) fans says to me that Mighty Marvel made a mistake in cancelling AA. Imagine how different fandom's voice would have sounded if we'd had the Internet back then... Ah, well. Let's take a few minutes to enjoy the final lyrical-yet-savage earth-conquered-by-martians saga of the Groovy Age. From Amazing Adventures #39, here's "Mourning Prey".

















Hey, we don't wanna end our old year or start our new year on a downer note, do we? Gotta give Mighty Marvel it's due, as less than a decade later they did allow McGregor and Russell the opportunity to re-unite and tie together the major loose ends of the Killraven/War of the Worlds saga in Marvel Graphic Novel #7 (1983).

Dauntless Don did write a mini-series to finish the whole Killraven saga, but he and Marvel have never been able to come to terms on how/when/where to publish it. Maybe one'a these fine days, Marvel will come to its senses and do whatever Don tells 'em to do! Oh, yeah, I said I didn't wanna end on a downer note, didn't I? Well, hey, at least with Dauntless Don doing his part we have hope, right? That's something!

Okay, tomorrow we'll welcome in 2014--and it'll be a lot more light-hearted atmosphere. I hope! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Monday, December 30, 2013

Happy Birthday, Smiley!

Saturday was Stan "The Man" Lee's 91st birthday, and like Ol' Groove is wont to do every year, I've gotta say, "Happy Birthday, Smiley!" and thanks for working with the bashful Bullpen to create the Marvel Universe!

The years and memories of joy from what you and the gang did back in the 60s and 70s will ne'er be forgotten here. And thanks, too, for some of the most far-out Christmases when I was in Junior High! Young Groove didn't need Santa when he had Stan providing the grooviest, ginchiest gifts of all--Origins of Marvel Comics, Son of Origins of Marvel Comics, Bring on the Bad Guys, and The Superhero Women! Hoo-hah! Did those books inspire yers trooly to want to become comicbook historian (amateur,yes,  but still...)? Did those books inspire many of the things Ol' Groove does here on the Diversions? You bet your sweet bippy!





We love ya, Stan!!

(Oh, and thank you Jazzy John Romita for being such an in-freakin'-credible cover artist!!)

Friday, December 27, 2013

The Grooviest Covers of All Time: Santa Through the Groovy Age

Season's Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Let's wind down this super-special week with a look at Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas' comicbook cover appearances through the Groovy Age. Oh, the places that jolly old elf will go to ho, ho, ho!





Thursday, December 26, 2013

Random Reads: "The Abominable Snow Plan" and "A Snow Thing" by Uncredited

Season's Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Today as we sit back and look over our newly-accumulated Christmas swag, let's look back at the kid who got all the swag every day, Richie Rich. L'il Groove (and a whole lot of other neighborhood kids and kin) loved Richie's travels and adventures--kinda like a rich l'il kid Indiana Jones or something. This two-parter, "The Abominable Snow Plan" and "A Snow Thing", was originally published in Riche Rich Millions #58 (December 1972). Grab a plate of milk and cookies and dig in!








Speaking of swag, here are the comicbook related goodies Ol' Groove got for being good this year:





Hope your Christmas was merry!